Jess McClenan studied BA (Hons) Photography at Sheffield Hallam University. She studied this because when attending college Jess studied media in which she got more interested in photography and aspired to learn more and develop her skills in this area. Whilst at university, McClenan volunteered to work remotely for Format21 Photography Festival which provided the skills of invigilating an online gallery and working closely with fellow volunteers. Jess also got the opportunity to write a review about a specific artist’s work in the exhibition, which was published on the official Instagram page of the festival. She also did an internship at Original Magazine shortly after finishing her photography degree, where Jess published her own article, which contained interviews from recent graduates from creative courses and how Covid-19 impacted their practices. McClenan is also volunteering this year at the Site Gallery in Sheffield to develop her skills more in working in galleries.

For people going into and who are currently studying a creative course, Jess’ advice is to put yourself out there and be open to new opportunities and to connect with others and develop on your network. She suggests not to stick to one opportunity and to apply to as many different ones as you can. Quoted by Jess McClenan “You may not get all of them, but some rejection is a normal part of life and it’s a great skill to push through rejection and keep going” which I found an inspiring quote. She would also advise to actively enter in exhibitions, competitions, and festivals to get your work seen and out there.

Social Media was where Jess found most of the volunteering opportunities, but mainly Instagram, where she would identify which accounts were linked to the most opportunities that related to Jess. She found her volunteering placement for Format21 through an opportunity email, which can be another element of finding opportunities. 

Whilst at university and shortly after graduating Jess did seek help and advise on how to write and format her CV from the career advisors. It was helpful, and she applied it to her applications to the opportunities she would see.
A final piece of advice from Jess McClenan is that “I would recommend getting as much practical experience as possible in the field you are trying to build your career in.

My main piece of advice is that nobody else is going to make your career a success other than yourself, so put in the time and the work, build your contacts and level of experience and take the opportunities you are presented with.”